Outage bob



H. A. QulsT Jan. 30, 1951 OUTAGE BOB Filed OC.. 16, 1947 INVENTOR.HAROLD A. Quls ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 30, 1,951

cursos Vnos Harold A. Quist, Elkton, Md., assigner .to 'Sun Oil Company,Philadelphia, Pa., `a ,corporation vof 'New .lersey pplicationctobel i6,1947, SerialNm 780,276

This'invention relates to tank gauges generally and specically togaugesvof the type -where a weight or bob vis suspended by 4a tape measure forlowering'into receptacles in order to measure the liquid contents.

The principal object ci the invention is to disclose a bob whichcontinues the .exact tape measure graduations throughout 'its length.

Another object is to disclose a bob which is detachable from thesuspending tape measure which will, when attached, make the graduationson the bob coincide with the tape measure markings.

A further object is to provide a bob with a hook and spring retainer aspart of the bob structure for holding the tape measure, both of whichcan be removed and replaced when required to maintain the accuracy ofthe measuring device.

With the above and other objects as will appear from the description andappended claims, the arrangement of the parts will be fully describedand are illustrated in the drawings where- Figure l is an overhead,perspective View,

Figure 2 is an elevation of the hook and spring clips face.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the graduated-face of the bob.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals l.

of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeralIll designates a tape measure with ring il fastened at the end andforming a full unit of measurement with the graduations on the face ofthe tape. The plumb-bob slotted at I3 to receive hook I4 over which loopi I of the tape measure is passed in order to suspend plumb-bob l2 inthe measuring position. The metal screws I5 maintain the hook Ill inrigid position and, also, permit the replacement of the hook I when,through wear or damage, it no longer aligns the suspending measuringtape graduations with the graduations on plumbbob I2. The spring clip I6is retained in position to cooperate with the hook I4 by the metal screwor bolt Il which secures it. v

In Figure l of the drawing, the perspective view shows plumb-"bob l2suspended by tape measure iii in the operating position. The ring Ilcontacts with the under side of the hook It! so that the tape measure ldis aligned with the plumbbob IZ and the graduations on the tape measurecoincide exactly with the graduations on the plumb-bob as shown inFigure 4. By such construction the exact measurement within a liquid I2is.

-storagetank may be obtained. Hitherto, plumb- -bobs have Abeensuspended from tape measureslby a spring clip dev-ice whichinterruptedthe measurement of 'the plumbebob in prolongationof 'thegraduations on the tape measure. This old con- Vstruction left thematter 4of gauging as awmatter of guess on the part or" the .operator orYrequired vthe loss of time in repeated measurements .in order to checkthe exact measurement of the space between the clip and the plumb-bob.

With the device as disclosed in this specification, a notch I8, as shownin Figure 3, permits the tape measure I to meet the plumb-bob I2 flushat the point of suspension. The plumb-bob is beveled at the upper end I9to enable the operator to ascertain that the graduations are in exactalignment before gauging as shown at point 20 on Figure 4.

Repeated use of the gauge will, after a time, wear hook I4 where itengages ring II indicated as surface 2l on Figure 3. With the type ofplumb-bob as disclosed here, a replacement of hook I 4 can be made,readily placing the plumbbob ready for immediate and exact use.

Reference to Figure 4. shows a View of the plumb-bob on the faceopposite to that from which hook I4 and spring clip I5 project. In thepreferred embodiment of the device the graduations are placed on thisface permitting an offset for the spring I6 and hook I4 assembly so thatplumb-bob I2 will hang in exact prolongation of tape measure IEl andenable the plumbbob to be made sufficiently heavy to be effective whensuspended from considerable height. This offset is shown clearly inFigure 3. Returning again to Figure 4, it will be noticed that the lowermost edge of the suspending ring II, which has been noted above as anexact extension of the graduations on tape measure I0, coincides withthe Zero line on the graduated face of the plumbbob I2. In theillustration, the plumb-bob I2 is graduated from this zero line in bothdirections, ending at the two inch mark where the tape measure i0 andthe plumb-bob l2 are in alignment at point 20. From the zero point wheresuspending ring II is in engagement with hook I4, the plumb-bob isgraduated downwardly along its length terminating at the twelve inchmark as shown in the sectional View portion of Figure 4.

It will be evident from the above disclosure and drawings that manymodiiications may be made of the device as it is detailed herein. Thepreferred disclosure eliminates any guess Work due to unmeasured lengthssuch as are common in the existing art where plumb-bolos are suspendedby swivel connections and clips and places this preferred and simplemethod of measuring tank contents in the eld of exact measurements,thereby enabling the continuance of already established measuringprocedures and raising the procedure to an exact standard.

I claim:

1. An instrument for measuring the contents of a tank comprising, incombination, a graduated measuring tape, a ring attached to the end ofsaid tape dimensioned to exactly extend the tape graduations, agraduated bob, a hook formlng part of the body of said bob adjacent theupper end and extending laterally outwardly therefrom to receive saidring, the ring bearing surface of said hook being spaced upwardly fromthe level of the zero graduation on the bob a distance such that thelowermost edge of the ring when engaged is accurately at the level ofthe zero graduation on said bob, and a spring clip secured to the bodyof the bob in operating engagement with said hook to retain the ringthereon during operation, whereby the graduations of the bob and tapeare in exact prolongation of each other.

2. A bob to weight a measuring tape comprising a rod of rectangularcross-section, one face of which is graduated; a laterally extendinghook to engage the tape positioned in spaced relation from the end ofsaid rod and forming a part of the body thereof, the tape engagingsurface of said hook being spaced from the level of the zero datum ofthe tape when engaged a distance and direction such that the zero datumof the tape is exactly at the level of the zero graduation on the bob;and a spring clip secured to said rod below and in cooperatingengagement with said hook.

3. The bob in claim 2 further characterized by the graduations on saidbob marked in ascending scale upwardly and downwardly from said zerograduation.

HAROLD A. QUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,006,301 Meyer June 25, 19352,157,024 Smith May 2, 1939 2,226,060 Johnson Dec. 24, 1940 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 594,332 Germany Mar. 15, 1934

